FCA US Officially Opens New Mopar Parts Distribution Center in Metro Detroit

ROMULUS, Mich., Dec. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

    --  Mopar Romulus Parts Distribution Center (PDC) employs more than 100
        workers
    --  Facility represents $10.4 million investment by FCA US
    --  500,000-square-foot PDC, LEED certified, will ship fastest-moving parts
        in Mopar portfolio to FCA Part Distribution Centers and customers
        worldwide
    --  New facility increases Mopar PDC network to 23 in North America, 50-plus
        worldwide
    --  Including Mopar PDC opened earlier this year in Virginia, FCA US has
        invested $22.6 million in U.S. parts distribution network in 2017,
        representing 170-plus U.S. jobs

FCA US LLC officially opened a new 500,000-square-foot Mopar Parts Distribution Center (PDC) today in metro Detroit, marking the second new Mopar PDC to open in the U.S. this year. The Romulus, Michigan, facility employs more than 100 workers and represents an investment of $10.4 million by FCA US.

With an additional PDC opened earlier this year in Winchester, Virginia, FCA US has invested $22.6 million in 2017 to strengthen its parts distribution network in the U.S., with 23 PDCs in North America. Combined, the two facilities represent more than 170 jobs.

In addition to U.S. growth, Mopar has also recently expanded its international parts distribution network. In less than five years, Mopar has added four new parts distribution centers, including joint ventures in Asia, Europe and South America. Mopar has a footprint of more than 50 PDCs worldwide, including North America.

"The opening of our new Romulus PDC reinforces the Mopar brand's commitment to providing dealers and customers with best-in-class service," said Pietro Gorlier, Head of Parts and Service (Mopar), FCA. "As we close our 80th anniversary celebration, Mopar's vision is stronger than ever: we are all in service of those who drive us. This state-of-the-art PDC ensures that we can deliver the right part at the right time and is further proof of our ongoing investment in enhancing operational excellence and customer satisfaction."

"Today's opening represents more than 100 jobs for the Michigan economy and makes the Mopar brand's delivery of parts to dealers and consumers even more efficient. FCA continues to grow and invest in its operations, which is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our UAW members," said Norwood Jewell, UAW Vice President and Director of the Chrysler Department.

It is anticipated that the $10.4 million FCA US investment will generate ancillary economic opportunities for local businesses, some of who were tapped to provide services, such as building and machine maintenance, transportation, janitorial management, landscaping and more.

Fastest-moving Mopar Parts
The Romulus PDC was built to address growth in sales and active part numbers by handling the fastest-moving parts in the Mopar distribution network. The facility will focus on parts that comprise 80 percent of daily dealership order volumes, encompassing in-demand products such as maintenance and repair parts.

The state-of-the-art facility features innovative technology and processes to more efficiently deliver these high-volume products. A quality assurance system works via light guidance and vision technology to guarantee accurate customer order fulfillment. The PDC will employ a number of automated guided vehicles that function with laser navigation technology to support efficient material flow, and an automated safety control system in the PDC utilizes sensors and lighting technology.

Tablets and monitors allow workers to handle information digitally, enabling paperless processes. Fast-charging material handling equipment supports low energy consumption while allowing for increased run times.

The metro Detroit facility will serve as a global source PDC, replenishing other regional PDCs in the area with the 10,000 highest-volume products in the Mopar brand's 500,000-plus portfolio. Overall, the facility will use two shifts of workers to handle approximately 45 million parts annually and an estimated 35 inbound and 35 outbound trailers each day.

WCL and LEED
As with other PDCs, the Romulus facility follows FCA World Class Logistics (WCL) methodology, which establishes a synchronized supply chain that progressively eliminates waste through the contribution of all employees and the rigorous use of methods and standards that promote an approach of continuous improvement.

Like the Winchester PDC, the facility is designed to be LEED Silver (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified. The comprehensive LEED system defines, measures and validates green buildings and is administered by the United States Green Building Council. Certification is achieved only after meeting strict standards in five key areas: site planning, water management, energy, material use and indoor environmental quality.

Romulus PDC: The Numbers
2: PDCs opened by FCA in the U.S. in 2017
35: Inbound and outbound tractor-trailers (each) daily
60+: Acres (facility footprint)
100+: Employees
10,000: Approximate number of fastest-moving parts the PDC will handle
500,000: Square feet (PDC size)
10.4 million: FCA US investment (in dollars) in Romulus facility
22.6 million: FCA US total 2017 investment (in dollars) in new U.S Mopar PDCs
45 million: Estimated pieces shipped annually

Mopar-first Features
During the brand's 80 years, Mopar has introduced numerous industry-first features including:

    --  Vehicle-information apps: first to introduce smartphone
        vehicle-information applications, a new channel of communication with
        consumers
    --  wiADVISOR: first to incorporate a tablet-based service lane tool
    --  Electronic Vehicle Tracking System (EVTS): first to market with a new
        interactive vehicle tracking device that sends owner a text when vehicle
        is driven too fast or too far based on pre-set parameters
    --  Wi-Fi: first to offer customers the ability to make their vehicle a
        wireless hot spot
    --  Electronic owner manuals: first to introduce traditional owner manuals
        on a smartphone app

80 Years of Mopar
Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) was born on August 1, 1937, as the name of a line of antifreeze products. Mopar has since evolved over 80 years to serve as the total service, parts and customer-care brand of all FCA vehicles around the globe.

Mopar made its mark in the 1960s during the muscle-car era, with Mopar Performance Parts to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing use, and expanded to include technical service and customer support. Today, the Mopar brand's global reach distributes more than 500,000 parts and accessories in over 150 markets around the world. With more than 50 parts distribution centers and 25 customer contact centers globally, Mopar integrates service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance customer and dealer support worldwide.

Mopar is the source for genuine parts and accessories for all FCA US LLC vehicle brands. Mopar parts are engineered together with the same teams that create factory-authorized specifications for FCA vehicles, offering a direct connection that no other aftermarket parts company can provide. Complete information on the Mopar brand is available at www.mopar.com.

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SOURCE FCA US LLC